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Candidate for the position of LGBT+ Students' Association Committee - Welfare Rep

JAMES MCPARLIN

Hi! My name is Jamie, I'm a second year medical student at Kings and I'm standing to be the LGBT association welfare rep. I am currently sitting on the comittee of the LGBT society as welfare officer, so I am already working on many wellbeing related events for our LGBT community at kings, including an event in honour of World AIDS day on the 1st of December and events for Wellbeing week in October.

Some of the issues I want to focus on in the upcoming year are: LGBT sexual health, which is often brushed under the carpet as mainstream healthcare and health education focuses on a cis/heteronormative perspective. Furthermore, LGBT mental health is a big priority, holding group meetings and self care workshops are a fantastic way to share coping mechanisms and this is something I am looking to organise in the future. Finally, I would like to raise awareness of LGBT, and in particular trans and non- binary, issues in the wider kings community. Education is the most powerful tool against ignorance and by creating resources to educate people on how to interact with the LGBT community respectfully, I hope to reduce the instances of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and misgendering that our LGBT students experience.

The welfare of our LGBT community here at kings is of paramount importance to me and I think it is very important to have the LGBT association and LGBT society working together on key welfare related projects to make them bigger and better. By electing me that is what you'll be getting. Bigger and better welfare events and someone standing up for improved resources and a faculty more sensitive to the unique needs of the LGBT community.